Subject: Strange eggs on dead leaves
Location: Kansas City, MO
December 1, 2012 6:25 pm
Been seeing these little egg sac things on dead leaves all over. I am in Kansas City, MO. Any idea?
Signature: Celina

Oak Leaf Galls

Dear Celina,
These are not eggs.  They are Galls and they are produced by a tiny Gall Wasp.  They are produced as a larva feeds, and eventually an adult Gall Wasp will emerge from the gall.  The Galls in your photo are somewhat unusual in that they are on the top surface of the oak leaf.  We tend to see more Galls form on the underside of the leaves.  We will try to determine a little more specifically the identity of your Oak Leaf Galls.  We do not want to totally discount that these Galls might be produced by some other creature, like a mite or a fly.  See BugGuide for more information on Gall Wasps.

Oak Leaf Gall

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oak apple gall
Location: Tampa, Florida
May 1, 2011 10:51 am
Hey, just thought you might think this was a cool pic I took…
Signature: Melody

Interior of Oak Apple Gall

Hi Melody,
Thanks so much for contributing your photo of the interior of an Oak Apple Gall, revealing the larval wasp in the genus Amphibolips inside.  Gall Wasps in the family Cynipidae are a fascinatingly diverse group that was studied in depth by Alfred Kinsey.  The Gall itself is a growth on a plant that may be produced by a variety of sources.  Gall Wasps produce growths on leaves, stems and roots though each species forms a distinctive Gall.  The larva then feeds on the tissue produced in the Gall.  It is currently accepted that the Galls do not harm the plant.  You can see other photos of Oak Apple Galls on BugGuide.

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Insect egg?
Location: Arkansas
March 19, 2011 9:01 pm
Bugman–we were hiking in west/central Arkansas in the Ouachita mountains and found this round orange ball with red spots on a leaf on the ground. It was about 3/4 of an inch in diameter. It was mid-March in a mixed deciduous/pine forest. What is it?
Signature: Joyce

Oak Leaf Gall

Dear Joyce,
This is theoretically not an insect egg, but it was produced because of the laying of an insect egg.  This is a Gall.  Galls are growths produced on plants, usually because of an insect or mite, though fungus and other causes may produce gall-like structures.  This is probably the result of a Gall Wasp in the family Cynipidae.  The Gall Wasp lays an egg, and when the egg hatches, the larva releases an enzyme that causes the Gall to grow.  The Gall Wasp Larva then feeds on the tissue in the Gall.  Galls do not harm the plants.  Here is a similar photo on BugGuide, and one on Wikimedia.

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Galls on Ocotillo?
Location: Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, AZ
February 28, 2011 9:39 pm
My field crew and I came across this ocotillo that has what appear to be galls on it. Are these deformities produced by an insect, and if so, which one? Thanks!
Signature: Ed Kuklinski

Galls on Ocotillo?

Dear Ed,
According to the Morton Arboretum website:  “Galls are abnormal growths that occur on leaves, twigs, roots, or flowers of many plants. Most galls are caused by irritation and/or stimulation of plant cells due to feeding or egg-laying by insects such as aphids, midges, wasps, or mites. Some galls are the result of infections by bacteria, fungi, or nematodes and are difficult to tell apart from insect-caused galls. Seeing the insect or its eggs may help you tell an insect gall from a gall caused by other organisms.“  What you have photographed does fall into the “abnormal growth” category, but we cannot say for certain that they were caused by insects.  The desert is a harsh climate, and there might be many things other than insects that might have caused this unusual phenomenon.  Perhaps one of our readers will provide some insight.

Galls on Ocotillo?

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White Oak gall
Location: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN
December 16, 2010 10:57 am
I’ve been seeing this gal on white oaks the past couple years in and around Great Smoky Mountains National Park TN. I looked at the picture on your site and didn’t see any that seemed to match. Wold love to have an idea of what kind this is and assume it is a wasp gall?
Signature: Ken Voorhis

Galls on White Oak

Hi Ken,
Thanks for sending your photos.  Galls are growths that can be attributed to many different kinds of insects including wasps and flies as well as to certain mites and other causes that are not related to arthropods.  In the case of Gall Wasps in the family Cynipidae, the Gall is a growth on the plant, often the leaf, that provides food for the larval wasp and does not harm the tree.  Oak trees are probably the most common host to Galls.  There is much diversity in Gall Wasps and we do not have the necessary expertise to classify your particular galls, but you can view some of the genera posted to BugGuide.  There is also a section of unidentified Galls available on BugGuide.  Alfred Kinsey, who gained notoriety in the 1950s with his studies on human sexuality, was an entomologist who specialized in Gall Wasps prior to turning his attention to the private lives of humans.

Galls on White Oak

Thanks Daniel, If I find anything more I’ll forward it to you.
Ken
Ken Voorhis            Executive Director
GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS INSTITUTE AT TREMONT
Great Smoky Mountains National Park

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White Oak Gall (you don’t have a picture of.)
Location: Murrysville, East of Pittsburgh, PA
October 28, 2010 4:18 pm
Hello Bugman,
I took pictures of some galls on my white oak tree today (10-27-10) I couldn’t find any pictures of these either on BugGuide or on this site. They are ONLY on my white oak tree – not on any other oak tree in my yard. (Pin oaks, shingle oaks) And there are hundreds of these galls. I find it interesting that they have turned pink as the leaves have turned red, since they are made of leaf tissue. They flick off the leaf easily and are wet when squished. This tree is about 15 years old and I do not recall ever seeing these galls on it, although I have seen other types. Thought you might like these pictures for your files.
Signature: MPK

Galls on White Oak

Dear MPK,
There does seem to be an infinite variety of Galls that can be found on oak trees, and we wish Alfred Kinsey were still alive and working to classify the Gall Wasps that produce these harmless growths.

Galls on White Oak

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